The Offbeats and The Prisoner of Azkaban
by TheBladeKnight1236
Summary: Alyssa Kaitlyn Hawthorne was just an average Jr. High student. She got straight A's, had no tardies, wasn't bullied, and was a witch. Wait. . . what? Join Kaity and her friends to learn the tricks of the wizarding world, and discover a secret spanning centuries. Even Hufflepuff had its secrets. INDEFINITE HIATUS! First fic! Slight AU! Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
1. Chapter 1

Alyssa Kaitlyn Hawthorne ("Call me Kaity!") was not in the best of moods. It wasn't that her last day of the seventh grade was bad, because it wasn't. In fact, she got to get her yearbook signed by most of her teachers and all of her friends; which wasn't that big of an accomplishment, seeing as she was reclusive, and was that intimidating smart person everyone knows at some point in their lives.

And it wasn't the dishes that were waiting for her when she got home. She actually liked doing the dishes, unless her mother had started them by filling up the water without organizing. In fact, her cousins, Landon and Sebastian Blackburn (Mother's side, both older), were coming over and they always helped her out when she had chores.

No, the reason she was crabby was that she decided to wear high heels and a black dress to school that day. She had to walk home from her school, which was about fifteen minutes from her house on foot, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. To add insult to this injury, she tripped on nothing when she was still on Main Street. This wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't all those people on the streets.

There seemed to be about ten people in all, with only a few looking like they belonged there. Of the strangely dressed ones (Robes?! What were they thinking this morning?), only one seemed to actually know where he was. (Black hair and black robe; goth, perhaps?) When she fell, all of them turned to look at her, but only one tried to help her up.

"Are you alright, my dear? What were you thinking, wearing black with that sky-blue rucksack?" The woman was a little, ahem, stout, but she looked friendly. Though the tattered brown robes seemed really out-of-place in a small town like Providence.

"Fine, ma'am. To put it simply, my actual backpack was a little too big for a yearbook, two granola bars, a watch, and a pen. So I wore this little bag, seeing as it would be awkward to hold all that at once. " The tone was sharp and clipped, but respectful. Kaity may get crabby when she was tired, but she still respected her elders.

"Well that's good. I'm a little lost, so I was wondering if you could tell me how to find the street; oh what was it?" The grey-haired woman started digging through her robe, most likely trying to find something. Her face lit up with glee when she lifted a piece of paper out of her garb. "300 South. That's the street. Could you tell me where or how to find it?" Her voice was eager, and desperate.

"Oh, of course. See this post right here?" Kaity walked up to the post that displayed "MAIN STREET" and "CENTER STREET" on perpendicular metal plates. Her tone was a bit lighter; she loved helping other people, but hated people trying to help her. "So we're on Main Street right now, which also can be called 0 West or East. Center Street is 0 North or South." She crossed the street and pointed to the post there. Now, all of the people in robes seemed to be listening to her, minus the man clothed in black.

"This one reads Main Street and 100 North, in case you couldn't see. The way streets work here are similar to that of a grid. We're currently on Main Street, so only the North or South can change. Had I stayed on Center, only the West or East would've changed. That way is East, by the way." She pointed to her left. "Do y'all get it?" The small crowd consisting of ... (So even the man in black was confused!) eight people nodded, somewhat reluctantly, though. "Okay. Hope you reach your destination safely! Bye!" Kaity started to head back towards 300 South. It was her street, after all.

"Thank you, miss..." The very short man that appeared to be wearing a suit under his robes was speaking. "Hawthorne. Alyssa Kaitlyn Hawthorne, but call me Kaity, please." Kaity was very picky about her name. She started walking again, eager to get home after this small delay.

The stout woman gasped softly, and then looked to her fellow professors. They all glanced down at the slip she was holding. The words were neat and tidy. Written in cursive it read: "475 East, 300 South. The Old Brown House Named Frankie. Alyssa Kaitlyn Hawthorne"

* * *

The most noticeable thing about Kaity's appearance was her eyes. They seemed green to anyone looking in passing, but they were actually a blue with yellow rings around the pupils. Sadly, even if one looked long enough to notice the odd color, the thing they commented on was her apparent lack of sleep. Kaity actually got all the sleep she needed, but the "raccoon rings" never did go away. She couldn't even remember a time when she lacked her beloved dark rings. (She cherished them; they made her look scary, and she didn't like random people.)

Her dirty-blonde hair was also a little strange. If one looked for them, one could nearly every shade of blonde under the sun; including platinum-blonde, but that was only in a miniscule patch. Because of her hair and the amount of freckles on her face, one could come to the conclusion that she loved being outside. That person couldn't be farther from the truth. Kaity loathed going outside. She burned way too easily, and sunscreen left a bad feeling on her skin.

She also had a beauty mark. Right under her nose, on her right side. She laughed when someone pointed it out, and followed with "Beautiful, me? Get your eyes checked kid." Kaity didn't have a high opinion of herself, but that was because she had been bullied in elementary school due to her being a little larger than the other kids. She eventually learned to tune those people out, but the scars had been made. Kaity never did anything to try and make herself look pretty; she never put on makeup, never did elaborate hairstyles (She only brushed it in the mornings), never really did anything.

Most importantly, though, Kaity was smart. You could see it in nearly everything she did and how she looked. If you talked to her, she didn't use "for show," she used "for aesthetic appeal." (Not in contempt or anger; she honestly didn't notice until her mother pointed it out.) If you looked in her eyes, you would see wisdom beyond her years, not the natural teenage stupidity her peers possessed. But the thing that truly showed how smart she was was how she spoke. She spoke to everyone like her equal. This created problems, though, as most of her peers didn't know what the word 'aesthetic' meant, let alone how to use it properly.

So she knew something was up when her mother's car was parked in the driveway before 6:30 P.M. Her mother was a paralegal, so she worked longer hours to be able to support her only daughter. Kaity had been in the custody of her mother ever since the divorce went through nine months prior. And she couldn't have been happier. Her father was a complete and utter jackass who had been cheating on his wife. (Kaity didn't have any actual proof of this, but her father and now stepmother had celebrated their anniversary six months after the divorce. Kaity wasn't nearly that naive.)

She could already tell that her cousins were over, hearing shouting coming from the house. Her cousins absolutely loved playing video games, especially fantasy RPGs. She didn't know why they liked them, but she loved to imagine herself as one of those black mages who could stop time or summon monsters. Kaity couldn't really explain the desire to its full extent (She wasn't good with spoken words), but her cousins had just nodded solemnly. And she didn't understand why she just remembered that event.

Keying in the code to unlock the door, Kaity entered her house named Frankie. Her mother had picked out the name, but never gave a real reason for it. Landon (Slim, tall, short brown hair) was in possession of the controller. Sebastian (Somewhat stocky, taller than Kaity, curly brown hair) had his laptop open looking up a walkthrough. Landon had gotten stuck again at a puzzle. (He was smart, but was better in the arts.) "You need to hit the green switch, not the blue or red," Kaity answered the unspoken question. "Oh, hey Kait! Didn't hear you. How do you know I need hit that one?" Landon looked a bit nervous. "The theme's color, not light. Green is last primary of light; yellow's for color. That, and I watched the walkthrough a few weeks ago." The tone came off as sharp, even though it was only supposed to be helpful. "Yeesh, no need to get crabby with me, but thank you. Oh, your mom got back a little while ago, she looked nervous. Did you do anything bad today at school?" "No."

Tatianna Kelsee Devereux Hawthorne was not a nervous woman. But she couldn't help but worry on this day. She could sense her daughter growing stronger. The seal had to be broken for her to sense this amount of power coming from her daughter. And she knew that the spell had worn off because she saw Professor McGonagall (Her old head of House) on the streets with a letter.

She had come home early today to try and talk to her only daughter before someone came by to break the news. Kaity said that today was going to be an incredibly short day today, but Tatianna still got home before her beloved daughter. But, she used this time to formulate answers to any "How?" "Why?" or "What?" she'd be facing at the end of the day.

Tatianna was a witch, (true half-blood, Gryffindor, dropout) and a darn powerful one at that. But her family was a cursed one. Any son born to a witch with MacNeil blood was doomed to be a squib. Her ancestor was a power-hungry woman who'd do anything for her family to have power, but she went too far. Rumor had it that she challenged the owner of the Elder Wand to a duel. Tatianna had nearly cried tears of joy when she knew she was going to have a girl. But she nearly screamed in fury when her husband revealed he was a magic-hater a few weeks later.

She had to seal her own daughter's magic so her father would never realize the truth. It was a difficult task, but she managed to do it. Perhaps today she'd finally be able to wave her wand after these thirteen years of being forced to only brew calming draughts and wolfsbane potions. Her nephew Landon was a werewolf, but as of yet, he hadn't bitten anyone. Sebastian was just a plain old squib.

What she didn't expect was that the messenger would come so soon. Her daughter had barely gotten finished changing into a new outfit and filling up the sink with soapy water when the doorbell rang. Sebastian answered it. "Hello, I'm looking for Miss Alyss- Kaity Hawthorne. Is she home?" It was a somewhat stout woman wearing... brown robes and gloves. Tatianna couldn't recognize her at first, but then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Professor Pomona Sprout. Head of Hufflepuff House and professor of Herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

* * *

"I am she," Kaity uttered curiously. "Why- hey! You're that woman from before! The one I taught to navigate the streets!" She had only just looked over to see who wanted to speak with her. Her face was alight with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I am here to deliver this." She pulled an envelope from her robes. Landon, Sebastian, and Tatianna all looked solemnly at the slightly yellowed parchment. "My name is Pomona Sprout, but call me Professor Sprout. I teach Herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We apologize for the inconvenience of not being able to send this to you earlier. Even we aren't sure what happened in transit. I hope we'll see you joining us for the summer course we are offering this year for the students here who show promise-."

"Pull the other one, I think I put bells on it." Even Kaity couldn't believe how rude that was. She hadn't even meant to say it; she couldn't sense that this woman was lying. (She had a "Built-in Bullshit Detector," as her mother put it.) "There is no such thing as magic." Or is there?

"That is where you're wrong, Kaity." It was Tatianna who spoke. She was pulling something out of the desk that was next to the fireplace. It was slim, dark, and- could it be? Kaity's mother stepped back a few paces and pointed the stick (A wand?) towards the wood in the fireplace. "Incendio." The wood lit up like paper. It was a wand; there was no doubt now.

Kaity ripped open the letter frantically, barely believing what she just saw. That strange stuff happened for a reason! The power outages! Things moving randomly! Maybe even-! She didn't finish the thought, as she began to read her letter. She finished promptly. "I'm a- a witch?!"

"Indeed, and probably a powerful one, considering your bloodline. Power runs through your veins, and we can teach you to use that." Professor Sprout's eyes were getting a little teary, as if bad memories were rising to the surface. "I'm sorry, you just- you look just like her! I can only hope you don't share her fate."

"Who do I look like, pray tell?" Kaity looked worried. Whose fate did she not want to share? Why were the memories making the Professor tear up?

"Aunt Kitty. Her full name was Katherine Alyssa Devereux MacNeil. She's dead." It was Landon who spoke up. "Never married, but took on Grandma's maiden name. I've seen the pictures; you do look like her, minus the eyes. Hers were a chocolate brown. She was murdered in the Wizarding War. Burnt at the stake." He seemed apathetic, until that last part. His face took on a look of horror as he said it.

"Wait. If this 'Kitty' person was a witch, why didn't she just cast a spell or something?" Kaity was too confused at this point. As smart as she may be, it was just a little too much.

"My sister was afraid of fire. Even if those Death Eaters hadn't taken her wand, she would have been too afraid to cast." Tatianna's voice was distant, as if she were afraid of getting too close to the subject. Her voice suddenly changed to a chipper tone. "What will she be needing? I've got tomorrow off, so we can go to Diagon Alley to get the supplies."

"The list is inside the envelope. She'll be needing both first and second year supplies. That's as much as we'll be able to cover within the summer, so she will be a year older than her classmates." Sprout still seemed a bit depressed, but was getting happier. "If you need any help with paying for the supplies-"

"That will be unnecessary. I inherited my sister's bank vault when she was declared dead. My sister Gardenia received Kitty's furniture and estate. We should be able to pay for her schooling." Tatianna seemed pleased to say this.

"Then I'll be seeing you at the beginning of the crash course, Miss Kaity. I wonder what your wand will be." Pomona turned to Tatianna. "Is your floo operational?"

"No, sadly. I wish you safe travels, Professor. Enjoy the rest of your free time. Kaity will be a handful, I can guarantee it. "

And then, Pomona Sprout was out the door, unaware of the chain of events that would unfold because of this powerful, young witch.

* * *

**Hi! Welcome to the Author's Notes! In this little section I'll answer questions of reviewers (if they won't spoil anything), give definitions/explanations for things mentioned in the text above (marked by****_(A/N#)), _****and give links to reference drawings for the story (once I have a proper DeviantArt account, that is).**

**Thanks for reading (and reviewing, please)! See you in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

Kaity was anxious. Nervous, perhaps? No, excited! She was on her way to her Aunt Gardenia's house to use her fireplace. (Honestly, what was this 'flew' thing her mother kept talking about?) The last night had been a blur, but Kaity knew that she was getting her school supplies today. But, most important of all, her wand!

As many people know, the last thing to come is normally the most anticipated. Kaity's mother had told her that it was tradition to get the wand last, but she could hardly wait. Her mother's wand had come from a place called Ollivander's. (Black walnut, unicorn core) Tatianna hadn't delved much, but apparently she was anxious as well.

They traveled in silence. It wasn't long before they arrived at Gardenia Blackburn's home. Kaity exited the car with a hop in her step. Approaching the door of the humble one-story home, she knocked. Her cousin Sebastian opened the door, looking apprehensive and happy at the same time.

"Hey Cousin Kaity! Aunt Tati! Oh, um . . . Do you have the potion with you, Aunt Tati? We have the fireplace all set up and ready to go." His voice was shaking and timid, as if he were afraid to talk. When Kaity peered inside, she saw Landon lying on the couch, looking rather pale and sickly.

"Of course." It was Tatianna who spoke. "Best batch of Wolfsbane I've made. No need to worry about a bite this moon, Seb." She seemed pleased with herself. Pulling out a large vial out of her purse, she handed it to Sebastian. "Here, take it to Landon. Come on, Kaity. I already went over how to work the floo with you last night."

* * *

The people mingling about in Diagon Alley saw a rather peculiar sight that Saturday. From the fireplace, a woman that seemed thirty or so with a brown pixie-cut stepped out wearing a burgundy cloak and holding a somewhat long sheet of parchment. But that wasn't the strange thing. In fact, that woman had been rather normal; for a witch, that is. After she stepped out, however, the fireplace seemed to make a hacking noise.

Once it stopped, a younger woman tumbled out. Everyone seemed to freeze, or be under a full-body bind, minus the two women in front of the fireplace. The younger of the two got up to her feet and began to dust the ash off of herself. After most of the ash had disappeared, it was noticed that she was wearing a pair of overalls, tennis shoes (which were still filthy, mind you), a faded yellow tee-shirt, and a pair of black fingerless gloves. The thick-framed glasses on her face were miraculously unharmed, but her freckled cheeks had a few scrapes.

Noticing the stares she was getting, Kaity gave a small wave to the people. Everyone in the alley began to return to business-as-usual. Well, almost everyone. A young girl with ginger hair and ivy-green eyes remained; gaping at the girl she recognized as her best friend.

* * *

"Well, now that we have everything from the apothecary, and a little extra, let's go get your pet." Tatianna was exhausted. Kaity had been asking many questions, earning them more than a few curious stares in each of the shops, especially Flourish and Blotts. It wasn't that the questions were hard to answer, they were quite simple in fact, it was that Kaity kept talking. She had finally shut up after Tatianna agreed to buy her both of the extra ingredients that piqued her interest. A phial of dragon's blood and a bottle of rose oil; Heaven knows why. Kaity always had an interest in the strange, that's for sure.

In all honesty, even Kaity was getting tired. She just wanted to hurry up and get her wand, but her mother insisted that she get a pet. Kaity may have wanted a cat, but it seemed tedious. She knew she was going to have a ton of homework during the summer, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to care for anything besides her studies. Reluctantly, Kaity decided to humor her mother.

The Magical Menagerie was, to put it simply, deserted. The only people in the shop were the clerk and the mother-and-daughter pair. Most of the owls were sleeping, but the toads were croaking, and loudly. Kaity couldn't explain to you why, but she had an acute sense of hearing, that got more sensitive when everything but the noise maker was silent. So yes, she did have a headache. Deciding to get a better look at what was there (and get away from that noise), Kaity headed towards the back of the store; more specifically, where the normal cats were. She had done a little research in the past on cat breeds, and none of the selection were the right type for her. At least, she thought that, until she saw what appeared to be a Russian Blue sleeping in a cage in the furthest corner of the store. It was impossible to see from the front door.

The cat was obviously not bred for competition reasons, seeing as it had a handful of discolored patches. On its left foreleg was the largest, and darkest, patch, reaching just past the main joint of the leg. The two hind sets of toes were dark as well, just not as dark as the foreleg. A 'u'-shaped locket rested on its breast, but, along with the faint line behind its left eye, it was much lighter than the rest of the fur. Speaking of which, the fur looked rough and unwashed, as if it had just been pulled off the street. However, the most striking thing about this cat's appearance was its eyes; they were the wrong color. Where there should have been a pair of wide, green eyes staring up at her, a warm cocoa-brown set seemed to look into her stare. Looking at the price for it, which was posted on the cage, she saw it was a bargain. The Russian Blue was only three Galleons.

Opening the cage, Kaity picked up the cat. The clerk, who had been nodding off, suddenly looked alarmed. "Miss, don't! That cat's-!" Too late. The blue beauty was already in Kaity's arms. Tatianna rushed over to her daughter. "Why wouldn't I pick her up? She's the cat I'd like to purchase." The clerk was surprised. The cat the young blonde woman was holding was notorious for injuring potential buyers, but in the girl's arms, it was as well-behaved as any other cat in the shop. When the girl strolled up to the counter to pay the three gold pieces, the feline began to paw at the pair of brown kitty socks on the display rack.

Deciding to amuse her new furry feline friend, she picked up the pair. A thought crossed her mind, and she grabbed the black collar with a spade tag on display next to it. Setting both items on the table, Tatianna opened her purse. The clerk wrote a few things down and said, "That'll be six Galleons in total, ma'am. And what would you like to name your new pet? All collars come with a free engraving." The girl seemed to think it over for a second, and then replied enthusiastically, "Millie." Kaity didn't know why, but the name seemed to fit. Tatianna handed the clerk the money, and he cast the spell to put "Mille" on the little spade token. The two women took their leave.

* * *

Garrick Ollivander was not expecting to see new faces until at least late that July. So when a young red-haired girl sauntered in, asking for a wand, he was pleasantly surprised. This girl, Arianna Hailer, had been selected by an ebony wand with a phoenix feather core, hard, and was twelve and a quarter inches long. Nothing too remarkable. It wasn't until later that the truly remarkable thing happened.

It had caught him off-guard to see this woman again, after dropping off the face of the planet over ten years prior. The bigger impact, however, was the blonde teenager standing next to the burgundy-wearing woman, holding a Russian Blue cat. He figured he was fitting the younger with a new wand, rather than replacing the brunette's black walnut beauty.

"Tatianna Devereux, what a pleasant and unexpected surprise! I trust your wand is holding up well? Black walnut, unicorn, ten inches, supple, correct? Who might the young one be?" Ollivander was intrigued. He was already pulling a box from the shelf when Tatianna spoke up. "Alyssa Kaitlyn Hawthorne, but call her Kaity. She's my daughter." Her tone was friendly, but urgent. Ollivander handed Kaity the first box. She handed Millie to her mother, took the box, and opened it. "Walnut, unicorn, twelve inches, swishy. Well go on! Give it a flick."

An explosion was heard from outside the store. Everyone on the inside flinched. Ollivander all but yanked it out of her hand. He gave her another look. Pulling a red box from the shelf, he once more handed it to Kaity. "Black walnut, unicorn, eleven inches, somewhat supple." A 'thunk' was heard in the back of the store. Another sharp tug on the wand in her hand. "Beech, same conditions." Two lamps broke. A soft "Perhaps. . ." was the only sound in the shop. "A moment if you will, ma'ams."

Ollivander had been debating whether or not to bring it out. It being one of the last wands his father had made in his career. The wand was made of sycamore, but it had a small opal set onto the end of it. (His father had gotten creative in his last years, to say the least.) Runes had been carved into it, but he didn't bother translating them. Approaching the shelf he had heard the 'thunk' come from, he noticed its box was the only one on the floor. Ollivander didn't believe in coincidences. Picking it up, he walked back to the counter.

"Sycamore, unicorn tail hair core, twelve and a quarter inches, hard. I have a feeling. . ." Ollivander trailed off. The green-eyed girl (No, blue and yellow; how did he miss that before?) seemed to be in a trance. Lifting the wand out of its case, she gave it a small wave. A burst of yellow and white glitter shot out. Kaity felt warmth course throughout herself. She knew this wand was hers. Ollivander broke the silence. "That'll be seven Galleons, please."

****Ollivander didn't believe in coincidences. This girl was destined for glory, and God have mercy on any soul that tried to stop her. He smirked. 'Mr. Potter will have a run for his money, that's for sure.'

* * *

**A/N: A locket is a small discolored patch on a cat's breast.**

**Just a small note: this story takes place in our time. I'm not sure if any official dates have been given, but I'm going to take artistic license on this one.**

**Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Kaity didn't know who she had been expecting to see on the Hogwarts Express (running specially, just for them), but it wasn't them. Even they were surprised when they saw her. As it turned out, the seven other transfer students were her seven of her small circle of friends from Providence Jr. High. It was quite an amusing scene actually. Three teenagers with friendly, but surprised smiles, one boy grinning like a madman, two girls glaring daggers at the aforementioned grinner, and two really uncomfortable boys.

Arianna "Aria" Hailer was a ginger-haired girl with green eyes, freckles, a thin build, and, apparently, a half-blood heritage. (Less actually, mother's side; a love potion was involved.) She was in Diagon Alley when Kaity had been collecting her supplies, but they never met up. Aria was an anime-lover, much like Kaity, and Kaity's closest friend. She wore a smile on her face.

Frank "Felix" Nelson was a lanky, tall boy with thin-rimmed glasses. His sandy brown hair was cut short, leaving his long neck exposed to the elements. A pair of coffee-colored eyes peered quizzically at Kaity from his face. It was as if he didn't quite believe where he was, but that was natural, as he was a muggleborn. He held an oak wand with a phoenix feather core at his side.

Julian Johansen, Felix's best friend, was a stocky fellow with straw-blonde hair. Nearly as tall a Felix, everyone else felt dwarfed by the pair. A holly wand with a unicorn core had chosen him as an owner. He seemed to be dusting something off of his robes.

Zippy Brinton (His actual name was Steve, but no one else knew that.) was an average-looking fellow, with his dark-blonde hair and pale-green eyes. The glasses he wore had a thick frame, not unlike Kaity's own, but they appeared to be caked with something. His grin was mischievous, as if he had just finished pranking someone again. The wand he held had the same materials as Aria's, but the carvings were very different.

Tera Saintaire had her storm-grey eyes focused on Zippy, making sure didn't destroy this compartment too. Her slim body had a confident air around it, with her nearly-raven hair falling down her shoulders. A fir wand with a unicorn core was held firmly in her hand.

Sylvia Harmon was a very normal-looking girl, with her muddy-brown eyes and long, chestnut hair. She wasn't remarkably tall, but not short either; neither thin nor stocky. Her wand was ebony, but unlike the other two ebony wands among their ranks, hers was thin and brittle.

The last boy to catch Kaity's attention was a stout boy named Solomon Oakley. His short-trimmed dark brown hair did nothing to hide his brown eyes and pearly white smile. The wire-framed glasses on his face appeared to be sprinkled with the same material on Julian's robe and Zippy's spectacles. A beech wand with a dragon core rested behind his left ear.

"What happened to Zippy?" were the first words out of Kaity's mouth, after a few questions lined with disbelief. "Wait, don't tell me. He blew something up again, didn't he?" Zippy had a natural "talent" for blowing anything and everything up, especially machines. (That poor belt sander in woodshop!) It was Tera who spoke up, with distaste lacing her reply. "Try his whole compartment. Thankfully, the damage was only on the surface, so we were able to clean it up." She held up a tattered copy of The Outsiders. "My book, however, was nowhere near as lucky." If looks could kill, Zippy would be lying on the floor, breathing his final breath.

"Oh, my condolences, for the book of course. But it's good everyone's alright." A yawn interrupted Kaity's thought. "I think I'll move to the next compartment for some shut-eye. I only got three hours last night. Wake me up in an hour, okay?" And with that Kaity departed, unaware that when she woke up, a new secret would be revealed.

* * *

Kaity felt small and itchy as she woke up. Blinking the bliss of sleep away, she held up what she thought to be her hand. A black paw greeted her. Putting it down, she raised it once more, thinking her sight was a bit blurry. The paw graced her sight a second time. She wiggled her fingers. The digits moved in time with her thoughts. She tried to scream. A squeal is what she heard. Turning around (she didn't know why, it just felt natural), a black-and-grey bottlebrush tail entered her sight.

Screaming (squealing, actually) "I'm a raccoon! A raccoon!," Kaity felt herself change. Her body grew. A snout became a nose; paw became either hand or foot; her tail shrank until it disappeared. But it didn't hurt, in fact, it felt natural. Suddenly, the compartment door slammed open. Aria and Tera stood in the latter spoke up.

"Good to see you're finally awake. I'm guessing that raccoon was you, right? We came in here fifteen minutes ago, but all we found was that furry bandit." Kaity could only nod dumbly in response. Tera spoke up again. "Okay. Believe it or not, the same thing happened to me yesterday, except I was a raven. I think we're something called 'Animagi.' Apparently it's rare for someone to naturally do this, but it does happen." Kaity had a sinking suspicion that even though she was going to magic school, she was going to have a strange year.

* * *

When the small group of students exited the train, they couldn't help but notice the, *ahem*, hefty man waiting on the platform. The man was waving an arm at them. He appeared to be smiling. His voice was rough, but kind. "Hello and welcome. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds here at Hogwarts. If you would follow me, we need to get up to the castle." He began walking towards what appeared to be a few spikes in the distance. The transfers followed silently.

* * *

A soft gasp escaped Kaity's lips as she entered the Great Hall. There wasn't a ceiling in the amazingly spacious room; stars and clouds hung in its place. Felix hissed softly in her ear, "Bewitched to reflect the outside. It won't rain in here if it is outside, though. I read it in Hogwarts: A History."

As her gaze swept around the room, Kaity noticed four hourglasses in the corner of the room. The odd thing about them was that, instead of sand, they were filled with gemstones. The one that held the rubies had the most in the bottom, with the emerald-filled one a close second. Sapphires were third, and the topaz was dead last. Kaity couldn't help but wonder what these were for. A booming, but joyous voice suddenly shattered the awe-filled silence in the room.

"Welcome, students, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster here at the school. This," he gestured to the woman in green sitting on his left, "is Minerva McGonagall. Head of Gryffindor House, and professor of Transfiguration." Another gesture, to his right this time. "Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin, and Potions Professor." A wave to a remarkably small man in blue. "Filius Flitwick, Ravenclaw's Head, and Charms teacher." Finally, to a stout woman in brown robes. Kaity smiled; she knew this one. "Pomona Sprout, Hufflepuff, and Herbology. We all thank you for participating in this transfer program for your magic schooling. Now, let's tuck in, and then we'll get to discussing the specifics of what this 'crash course' will entail."

* * *

The course was set up like this: a week or less for basic instruction in each of the basic subjects; in the order of Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Astronomy, Herbology, Flying, and, finally, D.A.D.A. The History texts were to be read between classes, as even Dumbledore saw that Binns wouldn't be able to cover the material in time. The classes would run from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekdays. Saturdays were to be a half session, and Sundays were off. This schedule would allow the 'crash course' to be finished roughly a month before the next full year.

So yes, Kaity was in a great mood. She hated being bored, and this course would definitely prevent that. However, she was a little miffed about rooming with someone else for the duration of the course. Two people were to share a room, under the supervision of a teacher. It wasn't that she didn't like Sylvia, she just like her privacy more. Professor McGonagall was her supervisor.

A bad feeling had settled in her stomach once Herbology had been mentioned. (Actually, she had been uncomfortable when Dumbledore started talking, she just didn't notice until then.) Kaity didn't exactly have a green thumb, so she wasn't having high hopes for that class. Charms wasn't seeming that promising either; Kaity was neither graceful nor well-spoken. (Good vocabulary does not a public speaker make.) The subjects seemed interesting, it's just that Kaity was deathly afraid of failure. Deciding to get something done before bed, she opened her history book to get ahead of the game. After a few pages, her eyes drifted shut, allowing her new breed of dreams to bloom. May God have mercy on her poor soul.

* * *

** Hi guys, I'm back! So sorry about the big delay with the release of this chapter. The plot has gone under a pretty big revision, and I was having trouble writing the next chapter/interlude. There's also going to be a new format with this story: the interludes. Most of these interludes will be plot relevant (these are the Dream interludes, FYI). Also, I think I'll make it so the 'crash course' is only about a chapter, which will be set after the exams. I might post the 'crash course' in its entirety as another story, but I do need to get into the actual plot. Please don't flame me because of this! I just can't seem to capture the classes as I should, and I don't want to make this story suffer. So, in the next actual chapter, expect a ****_big_**** timeskip. See you next week (hopefully!)!**


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